Raghav Chadha suspension: SC disposes of AAP MP's plea as his suspension from RS revoked

Dec 11, 2023

New Delhi [India], December 11 : The Supreme Court on Monday disposed of the plea of AAP MP Raghav Chadha, who had filed plea against his suspension from the Rajya Sabha, after it was informed that his suspension was revoked.
A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said, "In view of the supervening development, the petition has become infructuous. The petition is disposed of."
Chadha's counsel Shadan Farasat told the bench about his suspension stands revoked and thanked the bench for its intervention in the matter.
The Rajya Sabha had on December 4 adopted by a voice vote the motion moved by BJP member GVL Narasimha Rao to end the indefinite suspension of Chadha, a member of the Upper House from Punjab.
On December 1, the Supreme Court had adjourn the plea of Chadha challenging his suspension from the Rajya Sabha, after it was informed that "something constructive" is likely to happen in the matter.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, had sought adjournment saying something constructive is happening in the matter.
Earlier, the apex court had asked Chadha to meet Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar and tender an unconditional apology in view of his suspension from the House.
It had hoped that Chairperson would take a "sympathetic" view of the matter.
Chadha was suspended for not taking the consent of five Rajya Sabha members before proposing their names for a Select Committee.
Before that, the apex court had expressed concern over the indefinite suspension of Member of Parliament Chadha and its impact on the right of the people to be represented while calling the exclusion of a member of the political opposition from the house a "serious matter".
It had also questioned whether the Privileges Committee could issue such an order to indefinitely suspend a MP and said exclusion of a member of the political opposition from the House was a serious matter.
The bench had remarked, "Such kind of indefinite suspension will have ramifications on the people whose constituency is going unrepresented? Where is the power of the privilege committee to indefinitely suspend the member?"
Chadha had moved the top court challenging his indefinite suspension from Rajya Sabha.
Chadha was suspended from the Upper House on August 11 for "breach of privilege" during Monsoon Session after complaints.
The MP was accused of not taking the consent of five Rajya Sabha MPs before including their name to a select committee.
He was suspended till the Privilege Committee submits its findings on the allegation against him for forging the signatures of five MPs in a motion related to the Delhi Services Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
Chadha had called the suspension patently illegal and without authority of law.
His suspension followed a motion moved by Leader of the House Piyush Goyal who sought action against the AAP leader for including names of some members of the Upper House without their consent in a proposed select committee for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023.